Disaster struck while watching the Leafs

 About 25 years ago, I hired legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz to deliver the main address at my charity function. In his closing remarks, he said, "Don't complain about your health issues because 95% of the people don't care, and the other 5% are glad it's you!

Lou Holtz ... he was very good and very expensive

The coach is right!

The following is not complaining - it's just a head's up. 

I was told my condition was rare, and it was ... until I got it.

It's my story, and I hope it never happens to you.

I joined my Florida neighbour (from Sudbury) for the Leaf game when, mid-game, I started to get chills. I thought he had the AC too high. He turned it off, and I got colder. My shivering got so bad that I had to return home and get into bed fully clothed with a winter blanket and a heating blanket -- the shivering wouldn’t stop. 

This was really kicking my ass.

Then, the real symptoms showed up.

If you are of a certain age, you may have to get up a few times a night for a whizz. I got up 12 - 15 times in between sweating and freezing under the covers. The urine burned and only dribbled; it was bright yellow and smelled awful, and my bones ached. I slept off and on for 28 hours. 

By Monday, I did the COVID test (negative) and assumed I had some sort of Flu bug. My wife jacked me up on Tylenol.

Then I thought the worst -- this might be prostate-related. When I checked with Google, the listed symptoms looked like what I had. That got my attention.

Then, out of the blue, I fluked it. I looked at the symptoms of URINARY TRACT INFECTION and they were similar.

I'm in Florida. I went to the local hospital on Day 3 and the Doctor confirmed my lucky guess. He gave me the good news and a prescription.

Incidentally, if you're a Canuck, make sure you always have supplementary travel insurance. I can't even imagine the price tag attached to my 30 minutes with a doctor in a US hospital ... I didn't see or receive a bill. 

I started my medication and thought my problems were over. That was Day 4. the worst symptom day of my week. It was wishful thinking when I assured those who asked that I could see the finish line. The increased urine stream promised by the antibiotic hadn't shown up.

On Day 5, I finally had something to eat -- a salad. I didn't want food, only water. I drank more in five days than I would in five weeks. If you have to deal with this and happen to have a sleep mate, they better be pretty understanding to put up with you ... I don't think my Lorraine slept for a week.

After 8 eight days and 28 500mg Cephalexin tablets, the pain stopped, and I could say goodbye to the infection, according to the Doctor at today's follow-up. I didn't mention that I saw him because I still couldn't produce a satisfactory pee steam today, and I was very concerned.

TaDa ... Doc prescribed Flowmax and my next three whizzes this afternoon since taking the first pill allowed me to pee like a racehorse.

It's done.

Finally.

Thankfully.

It's done.

Epilogue: I didn't include reporting on Day 6 or 7 here because I doubt you'd believe the remaining nonsense I dealt with (I barely believe it myself). I made this heads-up available to only my male friends because we've been warned that one day, a situation with our prostate gland will present itself. I was terrified at that prospect and so relieved to discover it was "just" UTI. 

If you have prostate symptoms, as I've described above, don't panic like me - have a urine test done immediately -- you can do it yourself with a kit from the local drug store (pee on a stick). I hope you get to share my luck. UTI is a wretched beast of a disease that will put a big, red, flashing STOP sign on work or vacation plans or family get-togethers.